


Chicken Soup From the Soul (2009)

by JennyB



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Arguing, Caretaking, Community: 30kisses, Cute, Epic Fail, Gen, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-09-29
Updated: 2009-09-29
Packaged: 2018-07-12 13:38:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7107127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hakkai's in bed with a bad cold, and Sanzo takes it upon himself to do something to make him feel better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chicken Soup From the Soul (2009)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the LJ community 30kisses, prompt#27 - 'overflow'

"What the hell is this?" Goku asked, his voice incredulous as he gazed down at the small slip of paper in his hand.

"What the hell does it look like, Moron?" the blond replied tersely. "It's a list."

"Well, duh! I can see that!" the teen exclaimed. "But why are you giving it to me?"

Sanzo gave him a withering stare. "Why do you think?"

"But, Sanzo!" the boy protested, his golden eyes going wide. "Shopping is Hakkai's thing! How come _I've_ got to do it?"

"Because I fucking told you to!" the monk snapped hotly. "That, and Hakkai's in bed with a bad cold and can't. So just shut up and do it." He pulled the gold card from his pocket and handed it to the other. "And I swear, if you buy a whole bunch of crap that's not on that list, I'll kill you. You hear me? Now move your ass!"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you!" Goku exclaimed as he tugged on his shoes and headed for the door, and then he added a muttered, "God, you're such a grump!"

"If you don't get the hell out of here, I'll show you grumpy!" The statement was punctuated by two bullets to the door jamb as Goku's head disappeared. Once he was alone, his expression softened some and he got up and crossed the suite, pausing at the closed door on the other side. Quietly, he turned the knob and peeked inside, giving a small sigh of relief when he saw that Hakkai was still sleeping. Though the room was darkened, he could still see the ashen pallor of the other's face, and could hear the soft rattles as he breathed. _Don't worry, 'kai. I know just the thing to help you feel better._ He smiled a little as he closed the door again. One of those small, private smiles he indulged in from time to time. He knew that in their daily travels, he didn't do much, but this time, he _wanted_ to do something for Hakkai. Something personal and beyond simply keeping Goku and Gojyo from disturbing him.

He headed back into the living area, grabbing his cigarettes and an ashtray from the table, and he carried on through to the kitchenette. There, he sat down at the breakfast bar and pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket. Unfolding it, he smoothed it down and read through the recipe again. When he was satisfied that he had it memorized, he folded it up again, removed his robes and gloves, and pulled out the necessary equipment he'd need. By the time he was finished, and had poured a fresh cup of coffee to enjoy while he read the paper, Goku had returned with Gojyo in tow, and that caused him to frown a little.

"Ne, Sanzo! I found Gojyo downstairs, and when I told him what I was doing, he offered to come along! Wasn't that nice of him?"

Sanzo's frown deepened when he saw the kappa's smirk. "He's a fucking peach," he snarked, and once Goku had set the bags down on the counter, Sanzo went over to inspect the contents. "What the hell is all this?" the priest asked as he pulled out two packages of cookies, a six-pack of root beer, a dozen meatbuns, and the latest volume of Goku's favourite manga. "I thought I told you not to buy shit that wasn't on the list!"

"You said not to buy _a bunch_ of stuff!" the teen argued. "That's barely a snack!"

The blond opened his mouth as if to retort, but instead, he rolled his eyes and snorted in disgust. "Here - take it and get the hell out of here. And give me back the gold card!" He held the items just out of Goku's reach until the credit card was safely back in his hands. Ignoring Gojyo, who had helped himself to a beer, he began unpacking the remaining bags. Sanzo had _hoped_ that the other two would bugger off to watch television, or engage in some other mindless pursuit, and leave him to his task, but as he set the last of the groceries on the counter, he was painfully aware of two sets of eyes upon him. "Don't you two fools have anything better to do?" he demanded, his gaze flicking over to Gojyo, who sat at the small dinette, then to Goku, who was at the breakfast bar, his head pillowed on his arms.

"Nope," Gojyo drawled as he took a healthy swig of his beer, then leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette.

"Sanzo, is Hakkai feeling better?" Goku asked, his wide, golden eyes slowly surveying the items on the counter.

"Do you _see_ him up and about?"

"Well...no, but -"

"Then there you have it." The priest picked up one of the large pots he'd set out, trying to remember the first step of the process.

After a moment, Goku tried again. "But, if he's not feeling better, then why'd you want me to buy all these groceries? Are you going to make him cook or something? That's pretty mean, you know. _Especially_ when there's a restaurant just downstairs!"

"Shut up. I'm not making him do anything."

"Then what -"

"I said shut up!"

"Don't you get it, Monkey?" Gojyo piped up as he went and got another beer, pausing by the counter to scan the items sitting there. "Look at the stuff he bought, ne? Chicken, stock, vegetables, noodles...if you ask me, the illustrious _Sanzo-sama_ is making soup. Soup for Hakkai."

"No one asked you," Sanzo said tersely, his temple starting to throb as he fought to hold back the heat from his cheeks.

The hanyou grinned when he saw the quick flush of colour, then the ensuing scowl. "Am I right? Come on, tell me I'm right."

"You're an idiot."

" _Sanzo_ is cooking?" Goku exclaimed incredulously as he stifled a giggle. "I've never seen you make anything besides tea or coffee, or that shitty ramen you like. I didn't know you could cook!"

"I'm betting he can't," Gojyo remarked before the priest could reply. "Hell, this ought to be entertaining. And here I thought I'd have nothing to do this afternoon. Hope you don't wind up making Hakkai sicker."

"Like you're one to talk, Julia Child!" the blond snapped heatedly. "If I remember correctly, the last time we let you near a stove, that shit you served us that you _called_ curry made _everyone_ sick, including you, you no-talent, half-retarded roach!" When he saw the pissed off expression, he smirked a little. "So unless you _want_ to die, just keep your damned trap shut, and your opinions to yourself." He glowered at the still snickering Goku. "And that goes for you, too, you dumb, chattering ape!"

When there was no further commentary, Sanzo got to work. He cut the chicken Goku had bought into chunks and threw them into the pot, covering them with water and setting it to simmer. As it boiled, he added whole cloves of garlic, a stem of bay leaves, sprigs of dill, slices of ginger, and a hot pepper that he'd slit up the side to let a bit of extra heat cook out. Before long, the pleasant aroma of the spices began to fill the room, and quite pleased with himself, Sanzo cast a smug look in Gojyo's direction as he started to peel some carrots and clean a few ribs of celery and some mushrooms. Once the vegetables were cut up and set aside, the blond grabbed a beer for himself and went to sit with Gojyo, lighting up a cigarette as he took his chair.

"So, you never did tell us what possessed you to turn all Betty Crocker this afternoon," Gojyo remarked as he glanced over at the blond and nudged the ashtray to a spot between them. "And fuck me, but you almost seem to know what you're doing. Or you look like it, at least."

"Bite me," Sanzo replied with an impatient snort. "And it's none of your damned business is what it is," he added as he opened the can and took a long drink.

"Did you lose a bet?" Gojyo pressed, and when Sanzo didn't answer him, he smirked a bit. "Yeah, that's got to be it. Hakkai managed to pull one over on you, and you were stuck. Don't feel bad at being swindled. He's gotten us all at some point or another."

"It wasn't a bet, Jackass."

"Well then, what? Are you telling me that you, the man who wouldn't do a day's work if his life depended on it, actually _wanted_ to do this?"

"Like you're overworked!" the blond snapped. "I don't hear you complaining or looking upset whenever Hakkai's trailing around after you, and picking up after _your_ ass, you lazy letch!"

"Who are you calling lazy, you fucking hypocrite? At least I pitch in from time to time!"

"Yeah, when Hakkai threatens you!" Goku supplied from his perch at the counter, his mouth currently full of meat bun.

"That's not true!" Gojyo argued as he got to his feet. "And what's any of this got to do with me, anyway?" the kappa asked, crimson eyes narrowing a little in suspicion. "Or what Hakkai does around here?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Sanzo snarled, and he grabbed his beer and took a deep drink.

"Uh, guys?" Goku interrupted, his golden eyes growing rounder and rounder.

"Bullshit!" Gojyo exploded, completely ignoring the teen. "I think Hakkai has _everything_ to do with this - with your sudden burning desire to get busy in the kitchen. Hell Goku, has the bastard ever cooked for you?"

"Uh, no. But -"

"See? I rest my case," Gojyo replied smugly.

"You'll rest in peace if you don't shut up, you know-nothing kappa!"

At that, the redhead arched a brow. "Alright, fine. So then you're saying that Hakkai means absolutely nothing to you? That this is _all_ just some random - and definitely bizarre - act of kindness? Tell me it is, and I'll let it go."

"I..." Sanzo clenched his jaw and considered his options. For a moment, he thought about agreeing with the kappa and denying that there was any truth to Gojyo's words. But the longer he thought about it, the more he realized it was a bad idea - _especially_ when he saw the knowing smirk. He had a feeling the hanyou wasn't as stupid as he gave him credit for being, and he would bet everything he had that the kappa would tell Hakkai what he had said, if only to get the brunet upset with him. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to bite the bullet and tell the truth when he became aware of an angry, hissing noise, and the smell of something burning. Turning, he could see his pot of soup overflowing violently onto the burner, the grease smoking terribly as it contacted the hot element. "Ah, _fuck_!" Sanzo exclaimed, and forgetting about Gojyo for a minute, he hurried back into the kitchen area and yanked the pot off to the side, fanning the air with his hand as he reached up to flip on the exhaust hood. As the smoke cleared and the pot simmered down, Sanzo peered into the vessel, his expression falling some. " _Shit_!" About two-thirds of the contents had been lost.

"I tried to tell you guys," Goku said solemnly as he stuffed a cookie into his mouth and turned the page of his manga. "I saw it boiling up and tried to let you know, but you two wouldn't listen to me."

"And it didn't _once_ occur to your stupid monkey brain to maybe turn the stove off, or move the pot - _especially_ when it started to go over?" the priest demanded irately, an impatient sound escaping him when he saw the teen's eyes widen at that. "Ch, Moron." With a subvocal growl, he lit up a cigarette and glared balefully at the pot. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do? This is no fucking good! Goku, get your shoes; you're going out again."

"Wait, Sanzo!" the teen said quickly. "You've still got that broth that I bought," Goku offered. "I've seen Hakkai add that stuff to soup when he doesn't have enough juice. You could do that! I think Hakkai said eight cups of water, and then the can."

Sanzo arched a brow. He'd forgotten about that. After picking out the chicken pieces, he grabbed the container. Flipping it around and scanning it quickly, he saw that yes, eight cups of water were required. He measured out the liquid and set the pot back on the stove, making a slight face while the remnants of his earlier boilover burned off the element. Once the broth was simmering again, he dumped the can into the water, added noodles, vegetables, and shredded chunks of chicken, and turned the heat down to low. The aroma of the spices wasn't _quite_ as strong, but the soup had taken on a nice, bright, cheery yellow colour.

About forty minutes later, Sanzo headed back into the kitchen to check on his creation. He frowned a little when he saw that the noodles were very soft and overcooked, but he figured it was better that way. _They won't hurt his throat when he eats them,_ he rationalized as he ladled out a bowlful and set it on a plate to carry to the other's room.

"Give 'kai our love, too!" Gojyo called to the priest as he made his way across the room, snickering a little when he was summarily flipped off.

"Bastard," Sanzo muttered, ignoring the lewd wink the redhead gave him, and the way his cheeks felt suddenly hot as he reached the closed door. He wondered if maybe he was coming down with something, too, because the kappa's juvenile remarks would _never_ bother him. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door, closing it lightly behind him, and he set the plate on the bedside table. "'Kai? Hakkai, wake up. It's getting late, and you need to eat something today." He took a half step back when he saw the other beginning to stir.

"Sanzo?" Sleepy green eyes slowly blinked open, and after a bit of fussing about, Hakkai sat up.

"How are you feeling?"

"A bit lethargic still, but better than before, thank you."

"Here, I brought you some soup; you should eat it."

A soft smile curved up the other's face, though it wavered slightly when he saw the bowl with the gluey noodles on the nightstand. "It smells quite fragrant," he remarked. "Is it homemade?"

The blond nodded a little, violet eyes carefully watching the brunet as he picked up the bowl and stirred it a little with the spoon. "Yeah..."

"You made soup for me?" Hakkai asked, obviously quite touched by the gesture. "Thank you."

"I, uh...I made it to help you feel better. Chicken soup is supposed to do that. I've heard." He smiled a little, and then waited while the healer ate a spoonful of it, only to look horrified when the other started coughing violently a moment later. "What's the matter?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice, even as Hakkai waved him off. "Is it the chili pepper? I didn't think the spice would bother you."

Hakkai took a sip from the water glass by his bedside. "No, it's not the spice. It's just -" Hakkai hesitated a moment, and then he smiled sweetly up at the other. "Um, what's in it?" he asked, his voice almost a little _too_ conversational as he slowly stirred the contents again. He nodded as the priest listed them off, and he grinned in understanding when the other mentioned the stock. "Ah yes. That makes perfect sense, then."

The blond arched a brow. "What does?"

"I think you might have put just a bit _too much_ of the chicken bouillon in your broth. But otherwise, everything was lovely."

"What do you mean?" Sanzo asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Goku said he'd seen you put the can of stock and eight cups of water into your soup. Which I did. Which the label said."

"Oh dear..." Hakkai trailed off into a soft chuckle at that. "Goku saw me put the _end_ of a can in. And it's not stock, it's bouillon, which is quite concentrated. It's only two tablespoons to eight cups of water." He glanced down at the bowl, and then back at his friend. "Um, you...didn't actually taste this, did you?"

Sanzo's eyes narrowed further. "No, why?"

The brunet simply chuckled gently and passed the other his bowl.

Sanzo made a disgusted face after taking a sip. "It's salty as hell!" The priest scowled, beyond disappointed that after all his efforts he hadn't created something even remotely edible. Hell, he doubted that even Goku would eat it. That thought caused his scowl to deepen, and he was pissed off at himself for listening to the monkey in the first place instead of just doing his own thing. Seriously questioning the wisdom of trying to do something nice for someone, he started to once again wall himself off. Vowing to never again attempt something so stupid, he turned to leave, only to be stopped by a gentle, but firm, grasp to his wrist.

"I did the exact same thing my first try, too," Hakkai said softly, trying to mask his own disappointment as he watched the priest start to shut down. With a smile, he released the blond and sat back against the pillows once more. "That, and I didn't realize that dried, ground spices are more potent than fresh ones, and I substituted them in equal volumes. Needless to say, the flavour was a little intense." His eyes sparkled a little, and he added, "Please keep that between us, if you don't mind."

Sanzo did allow a small smile to grace his features at that, and he sat down lightly on the edge of the bed. He spared a brief glance toward the bowl, and then he snorted. "I guess that didn't go exactly according to plan," he mused aloud.

The brunet chuckled again. "Oh, I don't know about that. I'm kind of thinking that I want to get out of bed now," he teased, his expression softening almost immediately. "But, in all honesty, even if your first attempt wasn't a complete success, I really do appreciate the gesture. I know you didn't have to go to all the trouble just for me, and it would have been much easier to just open a tin, or order in from a restaurant. Not everyone would do that, and the fact that you took the time and effort -" He cut himself off and bowed his head a little, a slightly tremulous smile on his face. "I'm sure this is just a by-product of the fever - at least, that's what we can tell ourselves when we later find ourselves needing to rationalize things, but..." Trailing off, he leaned up and gave the blond a brief brush of lips across his cheek. It was so fast, and so light, that if Sanzo hadn't been watching, he would have missed it. "Just...thank you. I do feel quite a bit better. I think I'll get up in a little while and maybe take a bath." His smile widening, he shifted himself back beneath his blankets, and he looked up at the other through tired, half-lidded eyes. "Looks like it worked after all, ne?"

Sanzo sat there for a few minutes as he watched the other drift off to sleep. There was still a slight rasp to his breathing, but the blond believed he sounded much better than he had earlier that day. For a long time, he thought about what Hakkai had said, and he did indulge in a soft smile when he thought about the kiss to his cheek. The smile morphed into a smirk at the memory of Hakkai's justification for it, and he shook his head a little in amusement. _Smartass,_ he thought to himself, and he lifted his hand to card through the wild fringe of bangs, only to catch himself at the last moment. _Maybe later_. He picked up the barely touched soup and got to his feet. As he headed back to the living room, he found that he no longer really cared that his cooking endeavour hadn't turned out. The soup had done its job. Hakkai _did_ feel better.

Ignoring Goku's questions and Gojyo's taunting as he dumped the remainder of the pot into the trash, his expression softened a little as he thought about the green-eyed healer. Hakkai was right. Chicken soup was good for the soul. His own included.


End file.
